Heat dispersing structure



Oct. 3, 1961 E. E. BRANDES 3,002,443

HEAT DISPERSTNG STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR:

ERNEST E. BRNDES M BY W,

Oct. 3, 1961 E. E. BRANDES HEAT DISPERSING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12, 1959 INVENTOR:

ERNEST E. BRANDES BY Ww 17M,

ATT'Y:

3,002,443 HEAT DESPERSNG STRUCTURE Ernest E. Brandes, 2046 Winnebago St., Madison, Wis. Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,109 2 Claims. (111. QS--dth This invention relates to heat distributing and dispersing structure, and more particularly to such structure adapted to use in warm air heating systems and constructed not only to provide economyV of manufacture, but also for ease and leconomy of installation and adjustment to provide elective distribution` of heat from a source -in rooms of various sizes.

The structure hereindisclosed is of generally the same typeasthat illustrated and described in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,627,860 for Heat Dispersing Apparatus, issued February 10, 1953.

I-n addition to'considerations of factors including the elective and eicient distribution of warm air heat along spaces of considerable length, heat dispersing structures of thetype herein disclosed should be proportioned in size to the volume of the room being heated. That is, in addition to the provision of effective `distribution of warm air.,a1ong Walls of various lengths and having different orvarying heat requirements, the sectional size and shape ofthe heat dispersing structure should be adequate to disperse a quantity of warm air which is proportioned to the room volume, and that in forced air systems which are. generally used; the rate of dispersion of the air should be suited to the use or normal noise level of the room.

A further and .generally economic consideration associated withheat `dispersing structures of the type herein disclosed and considered is limitation of the number of parts and sizes of` parts required. for producing the size variations required and of even Amore importance, the restriction `of the l-abor costs required for .installation Yand adjustment `of, the structures.

Although reference is made herein to the use of the disclosed structure in .connection with heating systems, it is to be understood that the temperature of the air dispersedtherethrough is not a controlling factor in the consideration of Vthe `salient features ofthe structure. The dispersalyof dehumidiied or cool air in summer for air conditioning purposes `is well within the calculated adaptations of the structure, and the term heat is not used in any limiting sense.

It isaone of theobjects of this invention to provide a heat dispersing structure adapted to assembly during installation from Prefabricated parts of selected sizes to aord astructure of predetermined sectional size and readily put together and cut to ltit a room and furnish eifective and desirable distribution of air in` the room.

lAnother object` of lmy inventionvis to provide a heat dispersing t structure in which prefabricated component parts are assembled together in substantially fixed relationship With-an` opening between two of the parts for the passage of tair from the-structure,` and having means carried by one of theparts for Varying the -size of the opening between the parts.

This inventionV has for another object the provision lof a heat. dispersing structure embodying -componentparts which may be assembled to provide a predetermined sectional shape and size, and supplementary parts which can be added to the aforementioned parts in the assembly to` eifectan. increase in the sectional size of the structure.

As a further foibject, `this invention has Within its purview the provision of `a heat Ydispersing structure for mountingalong the baseof-a wall of a room, and which canubequicklyVa-nd easily` assembled during installation, as-'well-:asadjustedvto vary the flow of air therefrom to conform Ito heating requirements along the wall.

rates Pte-nt astanti Patented 0st. 3, 1961 Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following `description and the accompanying drawings in which similar Icharacters of refer ence indicate similar parts throughout the several Views FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective View depicting an exemplary installation of a preferred embodiment of my heat dispersing structure in a room;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the heat dispersing structure, `drawn to a larger scale than FIG. l, with'portions cut away to indicate details of the internal construction, the cut-away portion being taken substantially at a position indicated by lines 2-2 and accompanying arrows in FIG. l;

PIG. 3 is afragmentary end sectional View drawn to a scale comparable to that of FIG. 2 and wherein the section is taken substantially as indicated by a line 3-3 and `accompanying arrows in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an end sectional view depicting a modification of the heat dispersing structure shown in FIGS. l, 2 land 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end sectional view illustrating a modification of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end lsectional View which is `an enlarged detail ofa portion fof the structure illustrated in IFIGS. 3, 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a 'fragmentary top sectional view taken substantially as indicated by a line 7-7 and accompanying arrows .in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan View taken substantially `as indicated by a line 8-8 and accompanying arrows in iFIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an end sectional View similar to FIG. 4, to illustrate another modification of my disclosed heat dispersing structure; and l FIG. l0 is a fragmentary end sectional view depicting a modification of a portion of the structure shown in tFIG. 9.

Considered generally, the exemplary embodiment of my invention which is depicted in the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, comprises heat dispersing structure 12 which is suited and adapted to mounting along the base of one or more walls of a room. This heat dispersing structure l2, in itself, constitutes a conduit through which either warm or conditioned air is Ldispersed along the wall or walls. Air for dispersal in the room is supplied to the heat dispersing structure 12 through means such as a conduit 13. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the heat dispersing structure 12 has a slot 14 extending longitudinally of the top portion thereof, through which slot the air supplied to the heat dispersing structure through the conduit 13 is dispersed and distributed into the room.

The illustrative room which is shownV in FIG. l includes walls 15 and 16 and a floor `17. The wall 15 has a window 18 therein. The heat. dispersing structure 12 extends along the base portions of the walls 15 and 16 and thus occupies positions usually taken by a baseboard. At the corner formed by the intersection of the walls 15 and 16, the end portions of the heat dispersing structure are joined to provide for the flow of air from one portion to the other.

Considering my heat dispersing structure in greater detail, and particularly the form disclosed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a base part @extends along `the floor adjacent the =wall and may be secured to the door by suitable fastening means. This base part has flanges 20 and 22 formed integrally thereon and extending along the opposite longitudinal margins. rhe flanges extend upwardly in substantially right-angular relationship to the surface of the door. A formed sheet metal back part k23 extends upwardly from substantially oor level adjacent the wall and may be secured to the wall surface by suitable fastening means. At its lower margin, the back part 23 overlaps the flange 20 to form a joint with the base part 19. In the disclosed structure, clips 24 are secured to the inner surface of the back part 23 at positions spaced longitudinally of the back and base parts, which clips have downwardly projecting resilient portions 25 that grip the flange ZG of the base part on the side opposite the back part to hold the back and base parts in rm engagement with one another.

In like manner, a formed sheet metal front part 26 extends upwardly from the base part 19 in spaced relationship to the back part 23 and has a marginal portion which overlies the flange 22 on the base part, with longitudinally spaced clips 27 engaging the inner surface of the ange 22 to hold the front part in place relative to the base part. At positions spaced longitudinally of the back and front parts 23 and 26 and at a level above the base part 19, in the Vertical midportions of the back and front parts, those parts in the disclosed structure are connected together by spacer strips 28 having angularly disposed end flange portions 29 which engage resilient clips 30 and 32 secured to the inner surfaces of the back and front parts respectively in opposed relationship to one another.

As may be understood from the structure thus far described, this heat dispersing structure is adapted to assembly at the time of installation, at which time the separate parts are cut to the desired lengths to t the room in which they are installed, and openings, such as 33, are provided in either the back part, as shown in FIG. 3, or the base part 19 for supplying air to the heat dispersing structure, as desired. After the base and back parts are secured in position during the installation, and when the front part is put in place on the base part, the spacer strips 2S are put in place by working through the slot 14 at the top of the structure. It may be readily understood that with a separable structure of the type disclosed, the heat dispersing unit may be disassembled periodically, as desired, for thorough cleaning and readily reassembled. It is a further consideration favoring' the type of structure herein disclosed that the separated parts are easier to cut to desired lengths and to install than they would be if more permanently adjoined together. However, even with this separable structure, the assembled and connected parts provide a stable and suiciently rugged heat dispersing unit.

At the top, the back part 23 has an integral flange 34 thereon which extends into the room from the wall surface and overlies a portion of the base part 19 in spaced relationship thereto. For reasons which will appear more fully, the flange 34 desirably forms an acute angle with the surface of the lower portion of the back part, so that it extends somewhat downwardly, as Well as outwardly from the wall surface.

The front part 26 has an integral top ange portion 35 thereon which extends toward the back part 23 and at least generally toward the ange 34 on the back part. In the disclosed structure, this flange 35 has an integral lip 36 thereon which projects downwardly and into the heat dispersing structure in angular relationship to the flange portion 35 and in spaced relationship to the edge of the flange 3'4 on the back part. This downwardly and inwardly projecting lip 36 serves as a flow directing surface for accomplishing some control of the direction of the dissemination of air through the slot 1'4 which is defined by the opposed flanges `34 and 35 on the back and front parts respectively.

For improving the distribution of air disseminated through heat dispersing structure of the type disclosed and for improving the eciency and effectiveness of operation, means is provided for varying the effective width or opening of the slot 14 at various positions along the structure. For accomplishing this variation of the effective slot width in the structures illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, I have provided the mechanism illustrated in those gures and details of which are also shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As illustrated, a substantially U-shaped or channel type member 37 has a side portion 38 secured to the inner surface of the flange portion 34 on the back part Z3. This U-shaped or channel member opens toward the slot 14 in substantially opposed relationship to the lip 36 on the front part 26, and the free end of the side portion 38 terminates adjacent the edge of the flange 34. A second substantially U-shaped or channel type member 39 ts slidably and telescopically into the channel type member 37 and opens into the latter member, so that the web portion 40 of the inner member 39 provides a second air llow control surface in opposed relationship to the lip 36 on the front part 26.

At spaced positions within the assembled channel parts, substantially U-shaped elements 42 are secured to the web of the channel member 37 and project outwardly therefrom. At positions aligned with the U-shaped elements 42, holes 43 are provided in the web of the channel member 39 through which screws 44 extend; the screws being threaded into openings 45 in the projecting end surfaces of the U-shaped elements 42. In order to elect movements of the U-shaped member 39 in both directions in response to rotation of the screws 44, portions of the screws are undercut adjacent the head to provide a shoulder 46. Also, relatively small plate members 47 have slots 48 therein which t over the undercut portions of the screws adjacent the shoulder 46. The holes 43 are of a size suicient to pass the threaded portions of the screws in assembly, after which the slotted plates 47 are slipped onto the screws, so that the screws are rotatable without appreciable linear movement relative to the channel member 39. Thus, it may be understood that by rotating the screws 44, the relative positions of the slidably engaged channel members 37 and 39 will be varied to adjust the effective width of the slot 14. There is suflicient flexibility in the structure disclosed that the effective width of the slot may be varied longitudinally of the heat dispersing structure by separate adjustments of the screws spaced longitudinally thereof.

In supplying air to rooms of different sizes or to rooms utilized for different purposes, different volumes of air are required and different velocities of air dissemination may be utilized. Also, the number or spacing of supply conduits that can be connected to the heat dispersing units of a particular room may alter the desirable air carrying capacity of the heat dispersing structure. In order to provide for variations of the sectional size of the disclosed heat dispersing structure while utilizing auxiliary parts of relatively simple construction with parts of a standard construction and size;I rather than requiring entirely separate assemblies in various sizes, I have provided the structure depicted in FIG. 4.

In the structure of FIG. 4, the upper portion thereof, wherein the part members corrsepond to those utilized in connection with the described structure, may be considered to be the same as the parts which are adjoined to the base part 19 in FIG. 3. However, to increase the elective size and air dispersing capacity of the structure, an auxiliary back plate 49 is mounted on the ange 20 of the base part 19 and held in place thereon by resilient clips 50. Likewise, an auxiliary plate 52 is mounted on the front flange 22 of the base part 19 and is held in place thereon by clips 53. The auxiliary back and front plates y49 and 52 are desirably of the same height. Adjacent the tops of the auxiliary back and front plates 49 and 52, and at spaced positions longitudinally of those plates, they are secured together by spacer strips 54. Also, connecting strips 5S and 56 are secured to the inner surface of the auxiliary back and front plates 49 and 52, respectively, between the ends of the spacer strips 54 and those inner surfaces, which connecting strips extend beyond the upper edges of the auxiliary back and front plates 49 d and 52 Yandiareoil'setfrom` al-ignmenttlth'e'rewith. With this arrangement .of parts, Ithe. portionsoffithe connecting strips 55 and 56 which extend beyondthe edges .of the .auxiliary back and front plates are aligned with .theflanges 20- and I22 .on 'the' base part"19 and serve to;provid e1a lfirmly adjoined connection'be'tween'the auxiliary "back and front plates and "the back andfront .parts-23; and 26 respectively ofthe previously "describedheatfdispersing structure. The `clips"2\4 an'd'27 engage the projectingportions ofthe connecting stripsm 55 andi56 .to holdltheback and front parts ofthe structure together.

Particularly in the larger heat dispersing structures, and in installations in which large volumes of air are to be dispersed, it may be desirable to provide fixed, as well as variable portions in the slot 14, thereby to establish a minimum effective opening of the slot. As depicted in FIGS. and 8, the normal width of the slot 14 between the lip 36 on the front part Z6 and the adjustable element provided by the U-shaped member 39 is normally wider than that shown in t-he embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4. For establishing the minimum effective slot opening, a channel member '57 is supported in spaced relationship to the lip 36 by a series of substantially Z-shaped spacer elements 58 having opposite end portions secured respectively to the side of the channel member 57 and the opposed surface of the lip 36 in spaced relationship longitudinally of those parts. The channel member 57 in the disclosed structure opens inwardly of the heat dispersing unit and it effectively iills a portion of the slot 14. The spaces between the channel member 57 and the lip 36 and between the spaced substantially Z-shaped members 58 establish the minimum eifective slot opening that can be provided. The adjustment of the position of the 'U-shaped member 39 relative to the side channel member 57 opposite the substantially Z-shaped spacing members 58 affords variation of the effective slot width from the established minimum.

In the heat dispersing structure depicted in FIG. 9, the general construction is similar to that utilized in the previously described forms and some of the parts are the same. That is, the base part 19', front part 26 and spacer strips Z8 are the same in structure as those previously described. However, a back part 59 is provided which has the integral top flange replaced by a removable top part which carries an adjustable vane somewhat diierent than the adjustable part previously described. The back part 59 constitutes a substantially flat plate which may be secured to the surface of a wall and which has clips 24 and 30 thereon for holding the flange 20 of the base part and Bange portions 29 of the spacer strips 28.

A top part 601 which is attachable and detachable relative to the back part 59 includes side flanges 62 and 63 integrally adjoined by an intervening web portion 64. The side flanges 62 and 63l in the illustrated structure are of diierent lengths, and the side yflange `62 has a connecting strip 65 secured to the inner surface thereof, which connecting strip extends beyond the edge of the side flange 62. In assembling the top part 60 with the back part 59, the extending portion of the connecting strip 65 overlies a top marginal portion of the back part 59 and is held in place relative thereto by clips 66 spaced longitudinally of the parts. In this assembly, the side flange 62 on the top part 6@ and the'back part 59 are adjoined in substantially llush relationship to one another. The web portion 64 of the top part projects away from the back part and lfrom the surface of the adjacent wall and overlies a portion of the base part 19, while the side flange 63 extends downwardly and generally toward the llange 35 on the front part 26. Internally of the side ilange 163, a bracket strip 67 is secured to the web 64 of the top part 6101 and has a flange y68 extending downwardly from that web in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to the side ange 63. A vane 69 is mounted for sliding movement in the space between the ilange 68 .andi .fthe fsideiiange' 63: andsshasx.- ailipzportion' 7)y thereon -Whiclrtissin spaced androppe'sedrelationshiputo the flips-36 `on; thefront: part 26. Atzspacedpositions alongLthe-vane 69,. support brackets 7.2 are secured, to .the lip .portion 70 vof fthe vane.at .positions :such .thatthe angenof .the .bracket strip `67Jts slidably between-the vane 69 and the support brackets. .At positions aligned with the support kbrackets72, screws"73 'extend through openingsr 74 Yin t-he Web'potionj`64'aridibracket'strip 67 and are threaded finto -the lian-ge iportionsilsf of the supporti brackets. '-By turning the screws 73, the lip portion 70 of thefvane:69 is moved toward and from the lip portion 36 of the front part 26 to vary the effective width of the slot 14.

The structure depicted in FIG. 10 is similar to that shown in FIG. 9, except that provision is made for aiording an effective minimum opening to which the slot 14 can be adjusted. As illustrated, substantially Z-shaped spacers 58, like those shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, are utilized to support an auxiliary vane 76 in spaced relationship to the lip 70 on the vane 69. The spaces between the auxiliary vane 76 and the lip 70 and between the substantially Z-shaped spacer 58 determine the minimum effective opening of the slot, while adjustment of the positions of the vanes by movements of the screws 73 varies the effective opening between the auxiliary vane 76 and the lip 36 on the front part 26 to adjust the air flow space therebetween.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A heat dispersing structure suited to mounting along the base of a wall and adapted to the dissemination of air supplied thereto through ducts and comprising, in combination, a base part having substantially parallel anges in predetermined spaced relationship to one another and extending longitudinally of opposite sides of the base part, sheet metal front and back parts each including upper and lower portions separated longitudinal of the mid-region of said parts at edges which lit together in abutting relationship, said lower portions of the parts being of substantially equal height and having means thereon for holding each lof the lower portions in engaged relation with one of the anges on the base part, separable retaining means for holding said edges of the upper and lower portions of the front and back parts in aligned and abutting relation to one another, said upper portions each having flange means thereon which extend generally toward one another when the upper and lower portions of the front and back parts are in position relative to one another and on the flanges of the base part, said flange means on the upper portions of the front and back parts being spaced from one another to deiine a slot for the dissemination of air from between the parts, spacer means connecting the front and back parts at positions above and -below said edges and spaced longitudinally of the parts above the base part to hold the front and back parts in fixed relationship to one another, said separable retaining means including sheet metal strips secured to the inner surfaces of the lower portions of the front and back parts and projecting beyond said edges thereof in planes offset from the planes of the respective portions, and resilient clip means on said upper portions of each of said parts adjacent said edges thereof and spaced longitudinally of said edges for engaging the projecting portions of said strips on the lower portions to hold the upper and lower portions of each of said parts in abutting and substantially flush relationship to one another.

2. A heat dispersing structure suited to mounting along the base of a wall and adapted to the dissemination of air supplied thereto through ducts and comprising, `n combination, a base element of predetermined width and having sheet metal front and back parts extending upwardly therefrom, one of said parts being longitudinally divided and including upper and lower portions separated at longitudinal edges which lit together in abutting relationship, separable retaining means including a strip secured to one portion in oiset relationship to the plane of said one portion and a clip secured to the other portion for engaging said strip for holding said edges ofthe upper and low- 5 er portions of said longitudinally divided part in aligned and abutting relationship to one another, and said parts each having flange means thereon which define a slot therebetween for the dissemination of air from between 10 the parts.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Weber Nov. 8, Steinfeld Nov. 4, Brandes Feb. 10, De Roo Feb. 12, Labus Feb. 19, Berger Nov. 26, Richards I an. 27, Woods Mar. 10, 

